Book Club
by MisterYada
Summary: Sunday afternoon tea time turns into a cool glass of lemonade. MinamixMiyuki. M just to be safe, but nothing explicit. Small story of events before Bonds of Sisterhood.
1. Book Club

**Book Club**

Minami Iwasaki checked the clock in her kitchen for about the twentieth time that morning. Though her outward actions rarely betrayed what she was thinking or feeling, on the inside she couldn't wait until noon. It was Sunday, her favorite day of the week.

Every Sunday afternoon since middle school, her and her longtime childhood friend Miyuki Takara had held a sort of book club. They would sit on the well-to-do girl's patio, sipping on tea while trying to figure out the author's hidden meaning in the story. It started with simple stuff like _Harry Potter, _but had grown to more advanced things such as _Beowulf _and _The Simarillion. _

This weeks choice kind of surprised the mint-haired girl. Miyuki had handed her a romance novel at the end of the last meeting. When she gave her a questioning look (well, at least someone that knew her like Miyuki did would understand it as that), she explained that her mother had read it and wouldn't stop praising it.

So Minami waited, holding the book she had been spending a whole week analyzing. Little pieces of colored tape poked out from the pages, marking points of interest that she wanted to discuss. It wasn't a _horrible_ book, in her opinion, but not something she would have read without the suggestion from her friend.

"Mother, I'm leaving," she called out at 11:55.

"Have a good time at Miyuki's house dear," her mom answered back from the depths of their home. Minami hummed a slight, inaudible tune as she walked out of the front door and down the sidewalk. Like clockwork, she walked into Miyuki's yard just as the fluffy girl exited the house carrying a tray with tea and snack cakes on it.

"Right on time, as usual. Have a seat Minami-san." Miyuki had an odd way of smiling with her eyes more than her mouth, and she was doing now as she greeted the quiet one. Minami actually liked it; it showed a great innocence in her elder.

"Good afternoon Miyuki," Minami said as she sat in the seat offered, placing the book on the table. Miyuki set the tray down in the middle of the table and passed a cup and plate to Minami, then poured her and herself some tea before sitting in the seat next to her.

From the front pocket of the apron she was wearing, Miyuki produced her own copy of the book, similarly marked in nearly the exact same spots. "Well now, do you think you figured out the reason for my Mother's liking of the book? I'm actually still a bit unclear on it myself."

Minami wanted to say that cheap romance novels such as this were usually targeted for total airheads like Miyuki's mom, but she didn't want to hurt Miyuki's feelings in any way. Instead, she shook her head. "I have no idea. The story was okay, but I felt I was lacking some kind of understanding or connection needed."

Both girls took a sip before Miyuki spoke her part. "I thought that as well. Something adults have learned or gone through that we as children haven't. If we figure out what it is, we may be able to understand it more fully."

Minami nodded in agreement. She loved when she actually had to think to solve a problem. (**A/N- Sadly, a rare and nearly lost quality in the majority of today's population.**) "Maybe if we checked the spots we marked against each other, we can find what it is."

"An excellent idea, Minami-san! Here, take my copy." Miyuki passed her book to Minami, who handed her own back. They spent a few minutes flipping through the pages and reading short passages wherever one was marked. Minami was the first one to speak up.

"It seems to me that it's the 'romance' part of the romance novel that eludes us."

"I believe you're right. I mean, I understand it, but at the same time..."

"You've never known the feeling yourself," Minami finished for her. Miyuki blinked.

"Why, yes, exactly. I mean, I've never been in a situation like this before..." Miyuki flipped to one of the marked pages and began to read aloud. "'_Clarice's breath caught in her chest as the face of __the man she loved drew closer to her own. Her whole body tingled in excitement as his lips pressed upon hers._'"

While the pink-haired girl read, Minami was slowly leaning in her direction. It was an unconscious action, and she didn't notice she was doing it until Miyuki said something. "Um, Minami-san? You're a little close."

Minami refocused and looked up, realizing at that moment that she was only a few inches from Miyuki's face, which had started to turn the same shade as her hair. She was going to say an apology and just sit back in her chair, but mind didn't connect with body as she moved forward still until her lips brushed against the older girl's for only a brief second. Immediately, she stood up. "I...I have to go..."

"Wait," Miyuki called in a half dazed, half surprised tone. Minami stood in place, waiting to be berated for what she did. Instead, Miyuki simply asked, "Why?"

Minami took a moment to breathe and think. For a second, why she did it was lost even to herself. "I...guess...I just... just wanted to know what it was like..."

"I understand. I have to admit, I was actually a bit curious myself about how it felt. Thank you." Minami was dumbstruck. She was fairly certain that just now, Miyuki had _thanked _her for kissing her. She took a seat, feeling a bit unbalanced.

"You're not mad at me?" Though her cheeks were still slightly rosy, Miyuki still gave the eye-smile that Minami liked.

"Of course not. I could never be mad at you, Minami-san." Minami was grateful to hear that, knowing that her friend wouldn't lie.

"Next time, I'll remember to ask when I'm curious."

"Mmm, you don't have to."

"Huh?"

"Let your curiosity out. Half of what people have discovered wouldn't be around if they always asked." It made perfect sense to Minami. After all, Miyuki was _constantly _researching things she was curious about, never once stopping because she though she needed to ask. Since she could be a bit more open now, she always wanted to ask her senpai something.

"Miyuki, what's it like having big breasts?" From the reaction she got to that question, Minami actually thought that Miyuki handled the kiss a bit better than this. Her face went a bit blank as she took a long draw from her tea.

"Well...uh... I guess it's okay. I try not to pay too much attention to them. Konata, bless her, does seem to like them, a _lot._ They do get in the way once in a while, though. And... never mind..."

"What?" It was rare for Miyuki to hold something back from Minami, even something so personal.

Miyuki's voice dropped a couple notches. "They... they're really sensitive..."

This piqued Minami's curiosity. "Sensitive?"

Miyuki nodded. "Uh huh. If they get touched, it makes my whole body tingle."

"I see..." Before Miyuki could react, Minami reached out and poked her friend's ample chest. Minami watched as Miyuki began to shiver like a freezing winter wind had passed over her. She made a small noise that Minami was almost certain was a happy one.

"Did you...like that?" Miyuki's eyes were squeezed shut, but she slowly nodded. The mint-haired girl didn't think it was possible, but she actually became more jealous of her friend. Not only did she get more attention because of her breasts, but they were a point of pleasure for her.

"Touch mine," she said rather bluntly.

"Wha-huh?" Was Miyuki's confused reaction.

"I want to see if mine make me feel the same."

"I'm...I'm not sure I should. Can't you do it yourself?" Minami took a hold of one of Miyuki's slender hands.

"Miyuki. Please." The look on Minami's face, only readable by her close friend, was killing Miyuki. The begging didn't help one bit.

"I guess I can..." Tentatively, Miyuki reached out and placed a hand where Minami's breast would have been had it existed. Minami, sadly, felt nothing in the ways of pleasure.

"No good." Disappointment was clearly readable in Minami's voice.

"I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do, Minami-san?" Miyuki genuinely wanted to help her friend. Anything to keep her from being sad to a point that anyone could tell.

"Well..."

"What is it?" Minami's face flushed with the barest hint of pink.

"It kinda felt good when I kissed you..." Miyuki paused for a moment to think.

_Kiss her just to make her feel better? But what if someone sees? Ohhh..._

Before she could worry up a storm, Miyuki closed her eyes and puckered her lips slightly. She leaned in the direction of Minami, who closed the gap quickly. Miyuki didn't notice it last time, but Minami was actually quite gentle. And their soft lips pressed together; she wasn't exactly sure, but she thought she liked it.

Minami, who was thinking a lot of the same things, wanted to do something to make this feel better for Miyuki. Her hand moved forward and she got a firm but gentle grip on the pink-haired girl's breast. Almost instantly, she got the reaction she was looking for.

Miyuki began to shudder and moan into the kiss. Both girls became caught up in what they were doing, not wanting to stop. Unluckily for them, it made them unable to notice that the French patio doors near them had opened.

"Well now. This is interesting." Both girls sat straight up in their seats at instantly recognizing the voice of Yukari Takara, Miyuki's mom.

"Mother! What a surprise! We were just discussing your book, and, um..." Miyuki tried her best to explain the situation, but her mother just stood there, giving the same eye-smile as her daughter.

"Don't worry, I understand. It wasn't until college that I experimented like that. I guess kids are just growing up faster these days." Minami just sat quietly, unable to defend herself as she steadily turned a deeper and deeper shade of red while Miyuki began to fidget.

"Experi... n-no. We just...just wanted to understand r-romance..." This got a chuckle out of Yukari.

"Romance, huh? Heh, at least you didn't take the 'romance' as far as I did once." Miyuki nearly fainted at hearing that.

"Mother, please stop. No kid should think of what I am about you right now."

"Your father didn't seem to mind when I told him."

"Mother! Friend here!" Miyuki pointed to the now Christmas-colored Minami, hoping it would at least slow her down. Yukari sighed.

"Fine, I guess I'll stop then."

"Thank you." Minami stood and bowed to both Takaras.

"I must go. See you at school Miyuki." Miyuki was a little disappointed, but understood. It was awkward even for herself to have her mother talking of her personal experiences in that area.

As she walked away, Minami heard Yukari say, "You know Miyuki, it's hard to understand romance without love or physical attraction. Do you feel either towards her?"

"Well..." Minami had walked out of earshot just as Miyuki gave her answer. She knew her own answer though. The damp spot in her panties provided a yes to at least one of those two. Later that evening, she called Miyuki.

"Hello. Takara residence."

"Hello Miyuki."

"Ah, hello Minami-san. What did you call for?"

"I heard what your mother asked when I was leaving, but didn't hear your answer."

"Oh."

"I'll tell you mine if you want, then you can tell me."

"Sounds like a good idea."

Minami took a deep breath. "Yes to both. I think you have an amazing body, and I _think _I love you. I'm not too sure. There's a special feeling I get inside me when I'm around you. The only other person that's made me feel the same way it Yutaka."

"Gosh, you're embarrassing me a bit." Miyuki paused for a second. "Well, I think your body is attractive as well, and as for love, I..."

**End**

Author's Notes: Cliffhanger! *cues 'dun-dun-duuuuuun' music* This idea kind of sprang up as I was surfing other fanfic stories. One that caught my attention was a REALLY good M-rated MinamixYutaka. Minami is, hands down, my favorite LS character, so I thought "What if, once again, I did a slightly uncommon pairing? Minami and... Miyuki!" Minami seems to nearly idolize Miyuki in the manga, so just upgrade it a notch to love, and, voila!

I tried my best not to be OOC. I'm sure there's points people can point out where they are, but it's nearly unavoidable.

When I began writing this, it had absolutely NO connection to _Bonds of Sisterhood _(Ignore this part if you never read my other LS fanfic). But the further in I got, the more I thought, "Hm, I DID have Miyuki freeze when the twins told her about their love. Maybe this could be a bit of a flashback that she went into during that freeze up." Then again, it's mostly from Minami's point of view, so, eh.

Sorry for gushing. I do it a LOT in my notes. Thank you for reading and hope you enjoyed!


	2. It Was Just A Dream, I Think

Author's Notes: And so I take the the path of the lemon chef once again. How I'm persuaded into extending what should be a one-shot for the second time now is beyond me, but I don't dislike it. I think it's a compliment. It's my readers saying, "MisterYada, we enjoy your writing so much that we encourage you to keep going on something that was just a whim to begin with."

That is why I write. For my readers. Though I enjoy the simple pleasures that writing for writing's sake brings, knowing that others like what even I rate as only slightly above average makes me get a warm feeling inside.

Or it could be that I'm just full of myself and am willing to cram more yuri down your throat so I can feed my ego when you praise me. Either way works. Anyway, welcome to _Book Club_ chapter 2.

**It Was Just A Dream... I Think**

Minami could hear buzzing. She was tired, so opening her eyes was not an option. Instead, she just raised her arm and started swatting at the air around her head, assuming it was just an errant mosquito. When she finally gave up on trying to shoo away the invisible pest, there came a knock from her door.

"Minami dear. It's time to get up," her mother called from the other side of the door when she didn't respond immediately. This confused the freshman for a moment. She could have sworn it was Sunday. She usually slept in until it was time to go to Miyuki's and her mother knew it. Her eyes cracked open, bleary with sleep, and looked at her alarm clock, which turned out to be the buzzing culprit.

The LED lit numbers read off as 6:30 am. Her eyes widened a bit more as she took a moment to think. This was the time set for her alarm on school days, and she had never accidentally set her alarm on Saturday nights. But her memory of Sunday just wasn't there. The buzzing of the alarm began to annoy her and interrupt her train of thought, so she sat up and flipped the switch on top.

Routine kicked in as she got off the bed and walked to her dresser, where a fresh school outfit sat. Everything kind of went into cruise control for her. She was so precise and and deliberate in everything she did, even changing outfits, she had no problems seeing how others thought of her as cold and robotic.

She had all of the buttons of her pajama top undone in only a couple seconds, swiftly replacing it with the white, long-sleeved sailor fuku of Ryou-ou Academy. No bra, of course. She wasn't so down about the lack of chest that she would even attempt to wear a piece of clothing that would have no use on her, but that was her personal secret. After that were her bottoms, which turned into a fresh pair of underwear and black stockings. Over those went the red, knee-length skirt.

Now fully dressed, she took her bag out of the chair at her desk and went down the hall to the dining room. Her mother, who was like a time progressed photo of a Minami that smiled, was standing on the opposite side of the faux granite island counter from the dining room. She went to open the fridge once her daughter entered the room.

"What would you like for breakfast, dear," she asked with her head stuffed inside the icebox.

"Just a piece of grapefruit, if we have any," was her flat reply. Her mother frowned as she pulled out the softball-sized citrus fruit.

"Honestly Minami, sometimes I think you purposefully kill off your own childhood. Sometimes it just seems like you have the taste buds of an old person." It was a playful kind of scolding and Minami knew it. Her mom didn't mind one bit if all her daughter ever ate for the rest of her life was grapefruit, she was happy as long as she knew she raised a well rounded person.

"Thank you," Minami said after her mother had cut the fruit in two and handed it to her on a plate along with a spoon.

"Want sugar on that," her mom joked before taking a small piece that Minami had scooped out off of her spoon and popping it into her mouth.

"Mother, you hate sour things. Remember?" Of course, it was obviously too late for that statement, as her mother's eyes squeezed shut and lips puckered. Once her moment of displeasure had passed, her mom leaned on the counter, giggling a little.

"Want to take the train, or do you want me to give you a ride? I have today off, so it's no problem for me." Minami thought for a second. They would have to leave a bit earlier than usual if she rode with her mom, but it had been a while since she had been driven to school. A days break from walking couldn't hurt anything.

"Ride," was her answer before putting a spoonful of grapefruit in her mouth. Her mother nodded.

"Okay. Be ready in about five. I'm gonna get my keys." Minami finished half of the grapefruit, and put the rest in the fridge for a snack when she got home. While she was in there, she grabbed a small carton of milk. She opened it and took a few sips on her way to the door, petting the sleeping mass of white fur that was Cherry as she passed by. The dog gave a satisfied whimper in it's sleep.

"Let's go," her mom said, only a half step behind her. They both slipped on their shoes before walking outside. There was a chill in the air, being late fall, and the sky had only begun to brighten around the horizon. The stars were still visible above them.

Minami piled into her mother's red sedan and buckled her seat belt while her mom turned the key in the ignition. The car hummed for a second before it turned over and roared to life. Slowly it backed out of the driveway and took off down the road. As they cruised along, Minami looked up into the twilight-dawn sky.

Shining brighter than the rest of the fading pinpoints of light was Polaris, the North Star. Long ago Minami had declared it her lucky star, letting it guide her when she was uncertain or confused. It had been a while, but she silently spoke to it now. _Do you know why I don't remember yesterday?_

No answer came from it, of course. Instead she just watched as it disappeared along with the rest, though it fought harder than any other to remain visible. Her concentration was broken when her mother spoke up. "You okay dear?"

"Oh? Yeah, I'm fine mother." Not totally a lie in her eyes. It was just something that concerned her alone. She didn't want to bring something that would seem trivial to her mother up.

"How about some music?" Minami nodded. Her mother hit the play button on the car's CD player. After a second of disc reading, the speakers began to play classical music. Minami closed her eyes and got lost in the powerful yet graceful notes produced by a piano as the hammers inside struck the wires at the press of a key. Minami didn't want to know how empty someone's life without music was.

Just when she seemed to begin getting into it, the car stopped. Minami's eyes popped open and looked over to her mother. Looking past her and through the driver side window, she saw the front gates of her school. A few students milled about around the entrance to the schoolyard; some of them Minami recognized.

"Thank you mother," she said appreciatively.

"Have a good day dear." Minami exited the car with her bag and closed the door. She waved to her mother before she drove off, then walked over to her classmates. Of course, Yutaka Kobayakawa, her best friend, was the first to notice she had shown up and waved to her. The mint-haired girl gave a small wave back as one side of her mouth curved upwards slightly in one of her rare attempts to smile. Only Yutaka and Miyuki could make her do that.

"Morning Minami-chan!" Some students that had not seen Yutaka before looked at her as they passed by when she squeaked out her greeting. A couple of them began to snicker at the 'child playing dress up', but stopped abruptly when they were met by Minami's icy glare.

"Good morning, Yutaka," she said back in her monotone voice once the onlookers had passed, causing the short girl to smile. Standing next to Yutaka was her equally short cousin Konata and her two friends, Kagami and Tsukasa Hiiragi. They walked away once they were sure the sickly freshman was in good care, giving short nods and waves to the silent one, except for Tsukasa, who of course said a polite 'Hello.'

"Guess we should probably get to our homeroom too," Yutaka said after their seniors had left. Minami just followed as Yutaka took the lead. It was a bit of an ego booster for shorter people Minami thought. Since the freshman hall was on the first floor, they didn't have to go far to reach their classroom.

Eerily similar to their older counterparts, the girls joined the other half of their four person team, Hiyori Tamura and Patricia Martin. Hiyori's face instantly gave away that she was distressed while her American otaku friend patted her back. Being the caring and curious soul she was, Yutaka asked the obvious question, "What's wrong Hiyori?"

Hiyori just mumbled while burying her face into her arm, which pushed her glasses up over her forehead. Patty spoke in her place. "She's got a deadline soon, and no plots, as usual."

A muffled wail came from the artist at that sentence. Why someone that reacted to pressure the way Hiyori did took on jobs with deadlines was beyond Minami. (**A/N- I don't exactly have deadlines myself and still react the same way when working on a story and coming up with nothing.**) Yutaka sat on the other side of Hiyori from Patty and joined in comforting her. "Maybe we can help you think of something?"

Minami had once taken a look at one of Hiyori's works while visiting Yutaka at her cousin's house. If what Hiyori was working on was similar to that, she didn't think that either her or Yutaka had the kind of plot ideas she needed. Hiyori lifted her face from her arm and sniffled, though not a tear was visible on her face. "You'll help me?"

"Of course! Right Minami-chan?"

"Um, Yutaka, I don't think..."

"It can't be too hard. What's the story about Hiyori?"

Hiyori looked back and forth between all the girls, making sure no one else was listening. Not that she was afraid of anyone finding out she was an otaku or anything, she just didn't like giving out plots to incomplete stories willy-nilly. "Okay, it's about two girls..." _Here we go_, Minami thought to herself. "They're both outcasts in their own way. When they attempt to be friends, they find out they have something in common... I just can't for the life of me figure out what they should have in common."

Minami had to think for a bit. Her and Yutaka were in a way a lot like that. One of the things they had in common was music (though Yutaka preferred to sing while Minami played). "What about music?"

"Thanks, but a group of friends brought together by music has already been done. Some anime about a school club with a dimwit guitarist, another guitarist they think is a cat, a bass player that's kind of a tsundere, a loud-mouth tomboy drummer, and a keyboardist that's super rich and owns a pair of yuri goggles. Apparently those are made of magazines..." Hiyori began to ramble on about a show that, by it's description, Minami was not sure she would enjoy. Interrupting the artist's already derailed train of thought, Yutaka piped in.

"Then what about dancing? I think it would be great to see two girls in beautiful dresses dancing across a large room in front of a crowd." Hiyori put her hand to her chin, stroking it like an old man would his beard. A light from seemingly nowhere started to creep across the lenses of her glasses, blocking her eyes from the other three girls.

"That... that could work..." Almost mechanically, she pulled her sketch book out of her bag and began to scribble furiously. Minami watched as the pencil flew back and forth across the page, almost like how a printer worked. The bell for class to start rang as she worked. Without looking up from the paper she moved over to her seat, still focused on the task before her.

Everyone else went to their seats, the sound level of the chatter going from deafening to just a low hum. Minami's 'Straight A Student Mode', as her otaku friends liked to call it, activated. She sat straight in her seat, pencil poised over her notebook as she listened to every word that came from the teacher's mouth.

-o0o-

When the lunch bell rang, Minami suddenly realized that she had forgotten to get something to eat from home. Luckily she had about a thousand yen on her for emergencies like this. When she got up to go to the lunchroom, Yutaka called to her. "Minami-chan, where are you going?"

"Cafeteria. I forgot lunch," she explained.

"Mind if I come to keep you company?" Minami shook her head, giving Yutaka the okay to be her moe shadow. When they stepped out into the hall, another familiar voice called out.

"Minami-san?" Both girls stopped and looked up the hallway to the stairs, where Miyuki stood, holding something against her chest. Minami walked over to her and noticed that what her friend held on to was a book. "You... you forgot this at my house yesterday. I figured you would want it back."

Minami got a mental jolt at the mention of yesterday. "I was over at your house yesterday?"

"Yeah. Our usual Sunday meetings. Remember?" Miyuki looked a bit confused by Minami's question, which only deepened when Minami shook her head back and forth slowly.

"I honestly don't remember a thing from yesterday. I don't know why either. Could you please tell me what we did?" Miyuki blinked before starting to turn a slight shade of pink.

"Uh...we..." Miyuki's gaze drifted off of her friend and to the side a little. Minami followed where her eyes went and noticed they were locked on Yutaka. She realized that to find out what happened, Yutaka would have to leave.

"Yutaka..."

"Yes?"

"Miyuki and I need to talk in private..." The short girl's spirit dropped slightly at having to leave her friend, but she understood that being a good friend meant giving someone space when they asked for it. She headed back into the classroom as Miyuki and Minami sat down on the steps. "Please Miyuki. I've been confused since this morning. I woke up thinking it was Sunday."

Miyuki fidgeted a bit, her face becoming even brighter as more blood began to fill her cheeks. "I guess... I'll start with this question. Do you feel any physical attraction to me, and do you love me?"

Minami was a bit thrown off by that question. Something so bold from the fluffy girl was unheard of. Still, it seemed Miyuki already knew the answer, so she answered to the best of her abilities, and hoped it was right. "Miyuki... I think you have an amazing body. In a way, yes, I am physically attracted to you. And yes, I love you. You're so close to me that if I didn't, it wouldn't seem fair."

Miyuki looked as if a giant weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She smiled and hugged the mint-haired girl. "Your memory may be inconsistent right now, but at least your answer isn't. Thank goodness."

"I assume I answered that question yesterday." Miyuki smiled as she nodded.

"Yes. It was after you went home from the meeting, where we..."

"We what?" Minami just wanted her missing day to return, and all that was holding her back was Miyuki's hesitance. After a long pause, Miyuki finally came out with it.

"We...we made out..." she said in a tone one step above a whisper. The memories of the day before suddenly returned to Minami's mind, the floodgates holding them back unlocked by Miyuki's words.

"I remember now." The soft touch of Miyuki's lips on hers, the feel of her breast between her fingers, Yukari walking out to see them both in the act... The one thing that escaped her still was Miyuki's answer to the question. "Do you..."

She was stopped mid-sentence by Miyuki. Her mouth, to be more exact. It was only for a second that they were linked by the lips yet again. As she pulled away, Minami heard a faint 'Yes' before she headed back up the stairs.

"Wait," she struggled to call out. The sound of steps going up the stairs stopped for a moment. "Why did I forget?"

No answer came. Both girls just stayed still, not another word coming from either of them. After a few moments of the most awkward silence Minami had ever been in, Miyuki finally spoke up. "Well, sometimes emotional stress can cause people to forget something."

And with that Miyuki disappeared up to her class' floor, leaving Minami sitting on the step. A new question now replaced the previous one in her mind. _What could cause someone as unemotional as me to go into that much stress?_

**End**

Author's Notes: First off, the description that I gave for, obviously, _K-ON!, _was what people who don't know about the show would hear about it. I actually greatly enjoy the show, sans the knowledge of a couple doujin that make my stomach turn just thinking about them.

Second, if it seems like I made Yutaka an overpowering element of this chapter, it's because I did. I have a small plan for it, since I only plan to do about two more chapters for this story.

Finally, I have officially decided that this is a small prequel to _Bonds of Sisterhood._ It's not necessary to read this to enjoy the original story, but it's a nice supplement.

I hope you enjoyed, and please look forward to more.


	3. It's Your Decision

**It's Your Decision**

"Minami-chan... Minami-chan?" The mint-haired girl, hearing her name being called, snapped out of the sullen daze she was in. Looking up from her desk, she came eye to eye with a clearly worried Yutaka. She knew she was not herself when she felt caught off guard by the look in her friend's eyes, searching for something wrong with her that she could fix.

"I'm sorry. Did you say something? I was just thinking..."

"Are you not getting lunch? You just came in and sat down." Minami looked up at the clock quickly. Even if she still had her appetite, there wasn't enough time to go to the cafeteria and get something. She was fine with that though. She had enough to digest mentally that her stomach didn't want anything solid on top of it. Slowly, she shook her head.

"Do you need anything?" Minami shook her head, causing Yutaka to frown even more.

"Just... some me time, please." Yutaka was a bit unsure of exactly how to give her that. She wasn't used to being brushed away like this. After a moment she did the one thing she could think of; giving her guardian friend a small hug before joining Patty and Hiyori at their desk-table.

For the remainder of the school day, Minami just let her auto pilot take over, letting her cruise easily through class without anyone realizing anything was wrong. When she looked to her side and saw Yutaka, she realized that she was walking down the hall to the school's entrance, heading for the train station. "Yutaka," she began.

"Hm? What's up Minami-chan?" The pure and genuine curiosity behind every single question Yutaka asked, even little ones, always put Minami in a bit of awe. Shaking off that feeling, she held the door open for her friend.

"What... what would you say if I said I like someone?" Yutaka's head snapped up so fast Minami was afraid she would get whiplash. Her eyes were sparkling like emeralds.

"You do? What's his name? He's so lucky!"

_Lucky? What does she mean by that? Does she think I'm that much of a catch? And how do I tell her it's a girl? Will she think I'm a freak? How..._

"Minami-chan. Who is it?" Yutaka's little voice brought Minami out of her quickfire chain of thoughts. The look of expectation on her face was nearly unbearable. The mint-haired girl took a breath before speaking.

"You see, Yutaka, I kind of..."

"Yahoo! Yu-chan! Big sis has come to drive you home in style!" Both girls looked across the courtyard to the front gate to see Yui, in her officer's uniform, leaning on her squad car. Minami was unsure if Yui was able to use police vehicles like that for civilian transportation that didn't have to do with some sort of crime, but Yutaka seemed used to it as she smiled and waved to her older sister.

"I gotta go, but tell me later, okay?" Minami sighed inwardly to herself, glad that she didn't have to come out and say it right then. A little time to think on it would help her prepare. She nodded slightly, which was Yutaka's signal to run straight for her sister, who had opened the passenger side door for her. As they drove off, Minami waved to the salmon-haired girl.

Now finding herself alone, she did the only thing that made sense; walking straight to the train station. Her mind drifted back to music without Yutaka to talk to, and she began to hum the opening bars to _Beethoven's Symphony Number Nine. _Unconsciously her left hand lifted up in the air and her fingers began to move, almost as if she were tapping on the keys of her piano at home. She wandered into the station playing her air piano.

Slightly blinded and deafened by the music playing in her head, she completely passed the benches without noticing who was sitting on them, until her name being said brought her back to reality once more that day. "Oh, Minami-san."

Minami turned her head and looked down at the bench next to where she stood to see Miyuki, book in hand. She smiled and waved, which Minami returned with her best attempt at either friendly gesture, which was enough for her senpai. "Hello Miyuki. Read past your usual train again?"

The older girl blushed a little at her friend's extremely accurate assessment of the situation. She nodded a little, before both of them giggled slightly at the expense of her occasional airheadedness. "Yes. I guess that would be one of my 'moe factors' coming through, as Konata-san would say. I'm glad I did though. I don't have to ride home alone today. And I wanted to talk with you for a bit."

Minami was almost certain she knew what about, but just to be safe, she asked, "About yesterday?" 

Miyuki nodded again, one of her eye-smiles showing up. This at least told her that none of it was bad news. Minami moved to the other side of Miyuki and sat next to her on the bench. "Do you want to talk now?"

"No. I think it can wait until we're on the train. It shouldn't be long now." Minami looked up to the board, which showed the train heading to their section of the city showing up in a few minutes. To find something to talk about until then, she took a peek at the cover of Miyuki's book. On it was a picture of a woman with a big, bushy tail and wolf ears running off into a white expanse.

"Are you reading a manga?" Miyuki gave a look of confusion before looking down at the cover of her book, then laughed.

"Oh, no no no. It's a light novel. Kagami-san suggested it to me. She said that the political and economical tones of the story would interest me."

"Ah," was the only thing Minami could say before looking up at the sound of their train pulling in. Both girls stood and boarded just as other passengers were getting off on the other side. Miyuki led Minami to the back of the car, where people usually didn't gather, and sat down. The train's doors closed and the brakes let go of the track as Miyuki began to speak in a tone of voice just loud enough that only Minami could hear it, and only if she focused.

"Minami-san, I believe we both are clear that we have expressed feelings for each other, correct?" When Minami's silent answer of a nod was given, she continued. "I'm glad that you like me. I really am. In fact, I don't think I could refuse if you asked me to be..." Miyuki's voice dropped a little more and she began to fidget, but Minami was certain that she heard the word _girlfriend _come up.

Her heart fluttered for a moment. At her words, Miyuki could be hers. The idea of it was almost too big for her to bear. Before she got in over her head though, she cleared her mind and spoke. "Is that all you wanted to say?"

Miyuki's pink locks swayed from side to side as she shook her head. "No. I just wanted to express a... a small... 'problem' I guess I would call it, for lack of a better word. You see, I feel your attentions would be split. I know you have been taking care of Konata-san's cousin, Yutaka-san, and..."

"Miyuki, are you afraid I wouldn't pay enough attention to you?" Minami was a bit confused at her words. This seemed a bit too... _selfish_ for Miyuki. Quickly Miyuki shook her head.

"Oh, no! Please don't put it that way! It's quite the opposite. I know that she's an extremely fragile person, and I can think of no one better than you for the task of taking care of her. If anything, I would be more worried that you would pay too much attention to me when she needs help. I just have this question, but please don't answer it now. Would you give the task of taking care of her to someone else to be with me, or would you rather wait a little while so you can take care of her?"

_Is Miyuki giving me... an ultimatum? _Of course, it wasn't an ultimatum by definition; either way she could be with Miyuki, one option just had them waiting a little while. Minami wasn't sure how to answer the question at that moment, and since Miyuki had told her not to answer then anyway, it worked out more for her.

"Of course, you can always come over whenever you want," the pillar of fluff said with a smile.

"Of course," Minami mimicked. She wasn't sure if Miyuki was trying to make her feel better, but it helped, if only a tiny bit. "So, is that book any good?"

Minami listened for the rest of the ride as Miyuki explained a few points of the story to her, trying not to give away anything big in case the other girl wanted to read it, too. When she had finished saying something about a harvest wolf-girl-goddess, the intercom keyed up. Through a small bit of static, they heard a calm woman's voice say the name of their section of the city. Both girls took hold of their things and exited the train once it had stopped completely.

After walking out of the station and turning the corner, starting the short ten minute walk to their neighborhood, Minami stopped for a second. "Um, Miyuki?"

"Yes Minami-san?" The younger girl looked to the side for a moment, second guessing her thought already. She already had Miyuki's attention though, so she went forward with what she was going to say.

"Do you think we could hold hands until we reach your house?" Miyuki blinked for a moment while trying to comprehend what Minami (without realizing it) had blurted out in a speedy and low tone. Minami was worried that she would actually say no, until Miyuki's face lit up into another smile while holding out her hand. Gently Minami placed her hand within the palm of Miyuki's, who twined her fingers together with Minami's.

A pleasing rush of energy ran up Minami's arm and down her spine at the touch of the pink-haired girl. There was no doubt to her that she did like Miyuki, quite a bit. Happily she walked down the sidewalk with her 'friend,' hand in hand.

-o0o-

"Oh, Minami dear. I just got off the phone with your friend Yutaka. She'll be coming over in a little while, if that's fine with you." Minami's mother was hanging the phone up on the charging cradle as the slightly light headed girl walked in. The thing that she was certain now was love was having a bit of an odd effect on her, but she liked it. She simply nodded as she headed upstairs to shower.

As soon as the door was closed and the shower on, Minami slipped off her outfit and stepped straight into the running water. It was only lukewarm, but felt good to her as it lightly pelted her skin. Slowly with soap she cleaned away the small bit of dirt that collected from just walking about for the day. While she did this, a thought came up.

This was her first experience with actual love. Sure, there was her family, but love between blood is a bit different. Miyuki was someone that liked her for her, and genuinely so. She had no objections to when they kissed, or when Minami had taken advantage of her 'sensitivity.' She even admitted to telling her mom that she did, in fact, like Minami. That took courage even the silent girl did not have, yet.

After rinsing shampoo from her hair and turning the shower off, a knock came from the door. Minami quickly wrapped a towel around herself before cracking the door open for her mom. "Yes?"

"Your friend is here dear. She's downstairs in the living room once your ready." Minami nodded. Once her mom had walked away, she retrieved her piled up uniform and ran down the hall into her room, throwing on a pair of shorts and a collared shirt.

Taking one step into the living room, Minami could instantly tell that Yutaka's health was upset. She sat on the couch, arms folded over her stomach as she doubled over, her face a light shade of green. When Minami walked towards her, she managed a weak smile. "Hey Minami-chan. Sorry to drop in like this."

"What's wrong?" The medical rep side of Minami came out for a second, wanting to take care of a sick friend. Yutaka blinked for a moment before she realized that she was giving off the signs of uneasiness.

"Oh, I just get motion sickness when riding with onee-chan sometimes. It should pass soon." Minami nodded before walking into her kitchen, leaving Yutaka with a confused look. From her seat on the couch, she watched as Minami grabbed a small glass from the cabinet, put a couple pieces of ice from the freezer in it, then poured ginger ale from a two liter bottle on the counter. Minami returned and handed the glass to Yutaka before sitting next to her.

"Wow, that actually helped a lot," Yutaka said happily after downing the whole glass of ginger ale in one go. The sudden carbonation in her stomach seemed too much, though, as she let out a small burp. Both girls giggled as Yutaka blushed lightly. "Excuse me!"

"Feeling better?" Minami was partially joking, mostly referring to the burp, but Yutaka just smiled.

"Much better. Thank you, Minami-chan." Though she was the same age as Minami, the mint-haired girl felt like she was looking at a little kid. Someone that needed someone to watch over them. Not necessarily to keep her out of trouble, like most children, but just someone to watch after her and take care of her when she felt bad.

That was when the full meaning of what Miyuki said on the train hit her. She didn't want to get in the way of Minami acting almost like... like Yutaka's _mother_, even if it meant having to deny her own feelings for a while to let her do so. Both Minami's respect and love for her senpai rose at this realization.

Minami looked at her friend, her _child_, in new eyes now. The short girl had engendered inside of her maternal feelings. A feeling that without her care, guidance, and love, she would have trouble taking care of herself later on in life. If this is what all parents felt like with their kids, then Minami understood why people drastically changed once they became parents.

Luckily for Minami, her kid was almost fully grown already. She just needed the small push that Minami's advanced mental age could provide. Sadly, the one thing that couldn't fix was her tendency to blank out while her mind comprehended slightly complex ideas such as these.

"Minami-chan? You there?" Yutaka was waving her hand in front of Minami's blank face. She shrugged mentally before looking down at Yutaka.

"Sorry. I was just thinking about something. So, what did you come over for?"

"You never told me who you liked! You forgot that so quickly?"

Minami thought it over for a moment. If she told Yutaka that she liked a girl, it might make things awkward between them. Maybe another time she would tell her, but not now. "No one. I was just curious what you would think."

"It's like your a mom asking her kid what she would think if there was a new boyfriend around. As long as you like the person, I would be happy for you." Minami nearly died laughing on the inside from the analogy Yutaka had just made, almost like she knew what she had been thinking about. She placed her hand on the smaller girl's shoulder.

"Thanks. That was the answer I was looking for."

-o0o-

Shortly after Yutaka left, Minami took the phone from it's resting place on the charger and went into her room. She had dialed the number so many times that she didn't even have to look down at the buttons to know that she had it right. The phone rang twice before it was answered.

"Good afternoon. Takara household."

"Hello Miyuki."

"Hello Minami-san. I was actually waiting for your call." Minami could tell from Miyuki's voice that she was happy that she called.

"I called to answer your question. Miyuki, I love you, but... my kid needs me." A small giggle came from the other end of the line.

"I fully expected that. I just wanted to hear you say it. Though it was interesting how you worded it." Minami blushed, realizing that she had just referred to Yutaka as her 'kid.'

"But let's make a promise. If she's able to take care of herself by the time my class graduates, we'll try again, and take things seriously. I honestly want things between us to happen." Minami hoped it was a good enough prospect to keep Miyuki near to her.

"I would like that very much." The sound of a door opening came through the phone, followed by Yukari's voice.

"Miyuki, you almost done talking to your girlfriend? I need to call one of my friends."

"Mother! She's not my girlfriend _yet_!" An eruption of laughter from the pink-haired mother caused Minami to hold the phone away from her ear for a moment. Once she returned it to her ear, Miyuki spoke again. "I'm sorry about that. She really wants the phone. Can we talk more tomorrow?"

Minami almost couldn't speak after hearing what Miyuki said. _"Girlfriend _yet_!"_ A real smile crossed her face as she said in the happiest tone ever, "Sure. I can't wait to talk more."

-Epilogue-

Unfortunately for Minami, the friend Yukari wanted to call was her mother. There was no backlash, but a certainly awkward conversation about experimentation and acceptance of other lifestyles was had, where it was revealed that Yukari's experimentation partner in college was, in fact, her. Needless to say, both girls were slightly scarred by the revelation.

To nearly everyone else, it seemed as though nothing had happened. The girls carried on their Sunday afternoon book club and tea time as usual, and stayed at a comfortably friendly level in school so as not to let anything slip. Only by paying close attention could anyone notice that sometimes, but not too often, Miyuki referred to Minami as chan instead of san. But that could easily be blamed on her airheadedness by others.

Things had seemed to return to 'normal' for both of them until Miyuki showed up at Minami's door one day, a wide smile on her face.

"Minami-chan, you'll never guess who I found out is going out..."

**End**

Author's Notes: Wait, wait, wait... I finished something that wasn't a one-shot? Yes! Go Yada! Yes, I know it's not too long, but besides my three one-shot stories, this is the only thing I've ever fully written.

So good job to everyone that guessed a love triangle, but if you guessed it would work out like this, I would like to politely tell you to GET OUT OF MY HEAD! I didn't want to make a cliché version of the triangle, and it makes nearly perfect sense to see Minami as Yutaka's 'mom.' (Well, to me anyway.)

I know an epilogue might not be the appropriate thing to call those last few paragraphs, but it's the closest thing that this story will get to a true ending until I finish _Bonds_.

I hope you enjoyed this small tale, and thank you so much for reading it.


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